Porridge

Porridge

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about making inferences from a text.  
Read the story Porridge by Michele Boston (School Journal Part 3, No. 3, 1996). Then answer the following questions.

Question 1Change answer

a)  Why did the author put "NOW!" in capitals with an exclamation mark?

Question 1Change answer

b)  Write down two words from the text which tell how Mum or Anna were speaking.
1.  
2.  

Question 1Change answer

c)  The dots at the end of a sentence show that some words have been missed out.
     Write down the words that would best finish this sentence in the story.
     "Like I say, I've never won a battle with Mum, but Anna . . .?"

Question 1Change answer

d)  Mum was determined that Anna would eat her porridge. Write an example from the text which shows this.

Question 1Change answer

e)  Write down the words from the end of the story which show that Mum "gave in" over the porridge.

Question 1Change answer

f)  Write down the words from the beginning of the story which show that Mum might be going to "give in".

Question 1Change answer

g)  How is the storyteller related to Anna?
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (without auto marking).
 
Equipment:
Copyright: 
Porridge - Text was first published by Learning Media Limited in the School Journal, on behalf of the Ministry of Education © Michele Boston 1996. Reproduced with permission. Illustration © Crown Copyright.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Reading
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
narrative, comprehension, inference, School Journal, character, SJ-3-3-1996
Description of task: 
Students read a story about family dynamics to answer inferential questions. SJ-3-3-1996. Text provided.
Curriculum Links: 
Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:

  • use comprehension strategies
  • infer ideas and information that are not directly stated in the text

as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.

Answers/responses: 
 

Y6 (11/1999)

a)

 

Any 1 of:

  • To show it was said loudly.
  • To show it was an order.
  • To indicate that Mum was cross/had enough.

easy

b)

 

 

Any 2 of:

  • shouted
  • whined
  • yelled
  • grizzled

2 correct – difficult

1 correct – moderate

c)

Any response which indicates that the storyteller thinks Anna usually/often gets her own way or wins the battles with Mum.

moderate

d)

 

Any 1 of:

  • "I could hear Mum reminding...."
  • "You're not going to school until you've finished ..."
  • "NOW!" said my mother in a voice which promised she would not give in.

moderate

e)

Any 1 of:

  • "her mouth was firmly closed."
  • "We haven't had porridge since then."

moderate

f)

("…my mother gives us porridge for breakfast.) Or she did until last week."

difficult

g)

Any 1 of:

  • brother/sister
  • (older) sibling

difficult